Tongues Untied (1989)
Black Men Loving Black Men
55 min
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.
- Release date
- March 16, 1990
- Country of origin
- United States
Where to watch
Subscription
OVID
Free
Kanopy
Streaming data: JustWatch, via TMDB. · See on JustWatch
Trailer
Cast
- Marlon Riggs as Self
- Brian Freeman as Self
- Michael Bell as Self
- Willi Ninja as Self
- Blackberri as Self - Lavender Lovelights Performer
- Eddie Murphy as Self (archive footage)
- Kerrigan Black as Self - Lavender Lovelights Performer
- Djola Bernard Branner as Self
- Ben Callet as Self
- Gerald Davis as Self
- Kenneth R. Dixson as Self
- Larry Duckette as Self
- Gideon Ferebee as Self
Crew
- Marlon Riggs · Director
- Joseph Beam · Writer
- Chris Harris · Writer
- Essex Hemphill · Writer
- Reginald Jackson · Writer
- Marlon Riggs · Producer
- Alex Langford · Composer
- Steve Langley · Composer
- Marlon Riggs · Composer
- Marlon Riggs · Cinematographer
- Marlon Riggs · Editor